Teems of the Deranged
by Namiya
Summary: The Kasugano household have provided him with many things and over the years, they've become his family. But what happens when other chances start to surface? RyuxSaku maybe. Third Chapter is up. Ryu narrates
1. Prologue

**Teems of the Deranged**

Cheers to whomever gets to read this. Namiya here.

So, yeah. Another fic after almost two years of not updating my last story ("Seasons at the Brink", if you're feeling mildly curious).

The setting here is somewhat similar to that story, but instead of going towards the downer route (which "Seasons" was  
almost telegraphed towards), this one's a bit more cheerier... well, given a degree of cheery.

Ryu is (despite all my wishes to the contrary) again the main character, on his Alpha incarnation, if a bit (21 yrs) younger. After  
all these years, I've given up on pretending I can write a S.F. fic with someone else on the lead character position. Sakura is on  
the female lead. And a few other dudes (and dudettes) from that Street Fighter timeline will be appearing. Most OC's will be  
very low-key, with maybe a couple of them playing a slightly-significant role.

If you have any suggestions, scorn, flaming, praise, indecent proposals-- BLOW THEM OUT YOUR ASS!  
Nah, just kidding. Feel free to give me your two cents. Reviews are greatly appreciated. So, with less ado than before...

* * *

**PROLOGUE**

(Post Golden Week, 20XX)

It has been well over 10 years now. To be honest, there was never a moment  
within the first year of my stay here that I felt at ease.

It is not the worst situation, once you get accustomed to it: Lodging. Getting  
more than fair sustenance as far as it goes. And most importantly, I am able to  
continue my training, all on one condition. One that actually encourages the  
bettering of my skills.

"Bro, are you awake?! Please bro! May I come in?"

It would be much appreciated if the interruptions did not come in the middle of the  
daily ritual of drying my hair, though.

"What is it, Hideshi?" Hopefully my tone will not come off as alienating.

"It's the lil' Lady! She's ill!"

Oh, how bloody likely.

"Are you sure? It is quite early, and she usually leaves late for school"

"She is! She was trying to finish something when Mr. Shiroi found her collapsed"

Her English Class Assignment! Hopefully is not an exposing piece.

"… I see. Thanks for reporting this over to me, Hideshi. I will take care of the rest"

"Please do so, bro!"

Ah, today is going to be one of 'those' long days. Darn it.

Some time later, outside the Kasugano Household.

"I am of--!"

Crud. Old Master Sho!

"Can it be known where are you going this early?"

"Uh… well, Milady seems to be feeling under the weather and, well…" Why am I  
hesitating about this?

"You pamper her too much. She needs to know her proper limits, Ryu"

"I assure you, Milord; she needs to rest. I am merely submitting her assignment  
and hoping for a way to make certain she can receive her upcoming homework"

"…" For a moment, Master Sho just stared at me, with a slight grin adorning his face.

"Is something the matter, Milord?"

"Heh, tightly wound around her little finger, are you?"

"I… beg your pardon?"

"Don't mind this old man" His snub-worded response was sharp, as always.

"Do your little errand and be careful, Ryu" He concluded.

"I will do so. Well, I am off"

Even at his most formal, Master Kasugano Sho often felt inclined to include  
a humorous remark regarding the situation. Experiences in life make that to you.

* * *

Near -Tamagawa Minami- High School. Ten minutes before the bell.

Seems I made it in time. Normally I do not come to this institution until much  
later, and much less do I enter it, but there is a first time for everything. Now  
please, TRY to remember where the second-year classes were located—

Of course, said task would be markedly easier if I did not had at least a  
classroom's worth of students staring at me.

Ignore them; just try to get to the Second Year class halls.

"Oi!"

Oi? Wait a tic: I know that voice!

"Master, is that you? What are you doing here?"

What was her name? Remember, remember darn it! Hina? Ayuhara? Zumi?  
She called you 'Master'… Oh! Got it!

"Ah, Chitose. How are you today?"

"I'm fine. But you haven't answered my question yet, Master"

"Oh, you see… actually? I am quite glad to find you here before the bells  
rang. Makes my errand that much easier"

"Is that so?"

After a minute that felt like an hour of explanations and struggling to  
pull off a convincing tone...

"Oh, I see now" She seemed a bit surprised by Milady's sudden illness.

In truth, it also did throw me off centre.

"So I was hoping you would aid me with this little predicament"

"Oh of course; I'll gladly take it to her house, if you—"

"Uh, do not worry. I will come around at the usual time. My sister needs to rest"

"I… see. Well anyways, don't worry about it, 'kay?"

Phew! Avoided biting the bullet there… for now, anyway.

"I will leave it on your hands then, Miss Chitose" I was planning to leave  
there and then, after she took the (indoor shoes) off her locker, but just  
as I turned around…

"You know… if you hate calling so much attention to your person, you should  
seriously consider losing the suit, Master"

While her words do hold some insight, the issue here is not entirely related  
to such a trivial matter.

"I guess you do have a point" But retorting to it adequately may not seem like  
the sensible choice. Just give her the time of day.

"Good thing no one's really into hazing around this school"

"Lucky me, then" If only it was something simple as hazing.

"Either way, be seeing you later then, I guess" She said, before finally leaving  
for Homeroom.

"Uh, all right then. Good luck today"

Anyway, do not lose momentum now. I need to go back to report matters and  
making sure nobody gets too suspicious. Hopefully Milady will have much better  
health by tomorrow.

Suddenly, my cell-phone starts to vibrate. Maybe Milord did needed me early o—

Ah, crud.

* * *

Foot-stains: So there it is. The prologue's out of the way. Over the next 10 days, the first chapter. Have a sweet day.


	2. To make of

**Teems of the Deranged  
**

Whoops. Well, that took longer than I expected. I managed to build a nice 'buffer', though.  
Now I can(or at least, give it the old-college try) maintain something of a updating schedule.

Dragon Coyote- Thanks for the kind words, dude. Everyone else who read but didn't  
reviewed/gave their two cents- Thanks for reading anyway.

For a change(or is it?), a somewhat important OC will make an appearance in this chapter. Can you guess which is it?

Disclaimer: All characters, names and so-and-so related to the Street Fighter franchise are property of Capcom. All original characters (unless otherwise noted) belong to yours truly. What a delightfully... dubious honor, right? Anyway, let's continue this descent into madness.

* * *

**  
Chapter 01: To make of swindling an art.**

Kasugano's residence. 6:43 A.M. (May 28, 20XX)

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" This sound most familiar to the household early in the morning; not precisely enjoyed by most of the inhabitants, of course.

Not in the least because today it happened fairly earlier than usual.

_'Please someone tell me that her clock's broken'_ But one man, who had not yet received his caffeinated stimulant, had grown fairly accustomed to said wail.

"My ever-upbeat Miss, can I come in?" A knock at her door quickly followed that sentence.

"Mr. Shiroi, I'm so late!"

Opening the western-style door, the man identified earlier entered Kasugano Sakura's room. A citizen in his early fifties, he was a calming presence if there ever was one.

"It's barely seven o'clock, Miss"

"WHAT? Oh god-oh my god-OH MY GOD!" The young girl seemed even more out of it after said sentence.

Shiroi Futsuo is a man with a large dosage of patience towards his employers; even if he rarely needs to really use any of it. He also has standards when it comes to the amount of decibels acceptable at this height of day.

"I ask of you: Please keep your voice down. Your classes don't begin until eight o'clock, if memory doesn't fail me. And you know how angry your father gets if he doesn't get his coffee early"

"Oh. Right, sorry about that"

Futsuo appears less lackadaisical now that Sakura has brought her voice down.

"Also, I would recommend for you to stop playing that particular song so much in the middle of the night, Milady. You know fairly well how much a certain person dislikes it"

"Really" While she listened, she didn't really seemed intent on stopping said occurrence anytime soon, but the youngest Kasugano at the household offered a polite nod nonetheless.

"Now, if you must excuse me" Mr. Shiroi said, before exiting Sakura's room.

"Oh, sure" A little sigh escaped off her mouth shortly after.

_'I would gladly stop playing that song… if he was at least bright enough to TAKE. A DARN. HINT!'_ She thought, while analyzing the contents on her school bag in a somewhat tempestuous manner.

After a while, she finally left her room and headed for the training area of the household.

"Ryu"

"Good morning, my esteemed lady Sakura. Did you sleep well?"

"I did. How about you? Was my choice of music of your liking?"

If for only a moment, Ryu stopped his meditative state to briefly open his right eye.

"It would be greatly appreciated if you were not as fond of that particular tune as you are" He said, before closing his right eye once again.

"It's a beautiful song! How can you dislike something that's so—?"

"Boring?"

"Nuh-uh!"

Ryu let out a slight sigh after that potent comeback.

"Look, I know it is a fairly likeable, mellow song with a lot of history behind it. It has not aged very well, though. Also, I know it is about a cute girl and everything, but those lyrics now sound akin to something a stalker would write"

Sakura frowned while directing a stare towards her subject.

"You're such a fuddy-duddy! We were only stuck on that elevator for like an hour"

The grey-eyed meditation enthusiast had a brief flash-back to said incident in a less than flattering light. That was the cue to halt his morning exercises.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later. Sakura's room…

"Fine, then. It is not by any means a bad song. It is however not the type of music I enjoy"

"Aaaaaaand there…" She said, before finishing with the half-Windsor on Ryu's tie. "Now was that so hard to admit?" She added.

"No. Not in the least. Although I would prefer to bathe without having to discuss the whys of my tastes…"

Ryu could easily overlook most of the quirks his charge-of-sorts has, but he knew that even sometimes, a line should be made.

"Oh, come on. Now you're just blowing this way out of proportion"

"Actually and if you excuse my imprudence, milady, I did wanted to comment you about something"

"Hit me"

"The matter is regarding these garments"

"What about them? You don't like them?"

"Uh no, that is not the case, milady. I do have one complaint, though"

"O-kay, let's hear it"

"I think they may call for attention a bit too much. Some of which may be unwanted, especially in regards to you"

She snickered for a bit.

"I do not see how that is a laughing matter"

"Ryuuuu… drop the 'being a worrier' thing. As long as you avoid using that awful Shiroi impersonation in public, everything's going to be fine"

"I see"

"Besides, if I'm going to have the White Chaos as my own assistant, I'd rather he looks like a sharp, promising member of the diet"

Ryu offered a slight bow at that remark.

"Wishful thinking I assure you Milady. I thank you sincerely nonetheless, for your thoughts are greatly valued"

"You're welcome… but what have I told you time after time after time?"

"What exactly do you mean, Milady?"

"Oh come on, don't play dumb! You very well know what I'm referring to!" Sakura then placed her hands behind her back "Would you….. Do it for me?"

Ryu looked briefly upwards. Kasugano Sakura was not a stubborn person. Well, most of the time she wasn't.

"… What is it that you are after?"

_'How about if you stopped playing the fool and INVITED ME ON A DATE?'_ She thought, while taking a fairly deep breath.

"Who, little oh-me? What makes you think I'm after something, Ryu?"

"Well, up until a few years back, you requested me, quite imperatively I might add, to switch from Princess to Milady. Now, you ask me to shaft the honor system altogether?"

"Pretty pretty please, with sugar and a hooker on top?"

After hearing that particular plea, Ryu couldn't help but to slightly snicker under his breath.

"As… charming as that request was, you have to understand this, Milady: What kind of example would I be setting if all of a sudden I began to refer to you in such a rude manner. For most people, who are completely unaware to the depths of our true relatio—?"

"It doesn't have to be all the time, you know?" She suddenly bogged his sentence down. "You can… you know, call me that around the house"

"…" Ryu began to ponder for a quick spell.

"Ugh, forget it then. It's just a silly req—"

After witness the pout his protégée was performing, Ryu smiled.

"No, it is alright"

"What?"

"I understand your point now. As your elder sibling and, more importantly, your assistant, I should have seen it coming from long ago. And I shall address said issue. Just… please be a bit patient"

Sakura widened her eyes at what she witnessed and heard.

"Very well! Y-yeah, I-I'll give you some space" Avery disarming sight, indeed

"Fair enough" He said, seemingly a bit more serious in expression. "Now, we should probably be on the move, otherwise your club manager is going to be a bit narky"

Sakura seemed a bit less surprised but still somewhat out of it at that sentence.

"You remembered?"

"Of course. You told me on Saturday. Amamori has your breakfast ready. Now let us go"

"You're my savior, Ryu. Did you know that?"

"It is the little things, Milady"

* * *

Tamagawa Minami High School's Front Gate. 7:15 A.M.

While not empty, the school seemed certainly depopulated at this time.

"Well, I will see you in the afternoon. Have a great day, Mi…" Ryu abruptly stopped himself from uttering another word. "I mean, little sis"

She chuckled for a bit at the sound of that particular word.

"Don't force yourself too much, okay dear brother?" She said, while tapping the floor with the tip of her shoes. "See—"

She abruptly interrupted her own sentence, when noticing a particular person. When noticing his sister's stare, Ryu turned around.

"Well, if it isn't Miss Kasugano" The person softly elaborated. It turned out to be a young woman around Sakura's age, wearing the same uniform. Four people followed behind her.

Ryu quickly took note of her appearance. The dark, long hair she sports seemed to have life of its own. Her gentle expression, rounded out with those brown eyes that called for the attention of all present.

"A-Amakuni-senpai? Why are you here so early?" The younger Kasugano greeted her apparent acquaintance.

"For the same reason most sport-related clubs are meeting through the week" Amakuni suddenly turned to look at the man standing beside Sakura. "I see that you brought your young servant to school" She added, with a faint hint of a smile.

"What—oh! This is Ryu, my older brother" Sakura hastily enunciated. "Dear brother, this is Amakuni Hanna, a senior and friend of mine" The introduction of Hanna felt a bit rushed on Sakura's part, but Ryu took it in stride.

"Kasugano Ryu. Honored to meet you, Miss Amakuni" The auburn haired offered a slight bow towards the girl he had just met.

"Well well, seems like you have been blessed with quite the gentlemanly brother, Kasugano" Amakuni offered a gentle smile.

"Yeah, he's awesome!" Sakura said while clinging into Ryu's arm. "Well dear brother, I'll see you later" She added, before letting go off her precious brother and heading towards the school.

"Take care" He waved briefly while seeing her sister off. "Have a great day, Miss Amakuni. Now if you excuse me" He once again offered a nod towards her sister's acquaintance, while walking away from Tamagawa Minami's front gate.

When Ryu doubled the corner, he noticed a rather lax influx of students… however something else nagged at the back of his head. Was someone following him?

He had grown tired of it. For the past minute, the feeling had persisted. No more.

"Is there something else you need, Miss?" He inquired, without even turning to face the person he was referring to.

"Well. Ryu-senpai, isn't it a bit rude to leave without properly introducing oneself?"

Kasugano lightly arched his right eye-brow at that query. That voice was easily recognizable.

"I… did introduce myself. It baffles me to think I was just talking to the wind back there"

She giggled in a very gentle tone. The sound of someone landing was heard. Ryu quickly turned around to notice the long-haired Amakuni descending from the school's delimiting fence.

"That one was fairly clever AND fun to listen to"

Her mischievous smile was practically telegraphed.

"I like that. Men like you are difficult to find nowadays"

Ryu let out a slight sigh as he proceeded to adjust his messenger-bag.

"Please, I ask of you: Is there something I might be able to help you with?" While the sentence could have suggested otherwise, the auburn-haired man's tone remained nonchalant.

"A bit on a hurry today, aren't we? And here I wanted to chat for just a bit"

And despite Hanna's better attempts, he did not falter on his stoicism.

"Were you not on your way to a meeting regarding the upcoming tournament?" Kasugano slightly tilted his head to his left when saying those words.

"A meeting that can't start if the Captain is not present, Ryu-senpai" Amakuni looked briefly aside.

"… Very well. Then I shall not delay you any further" Just as Ryu started to walk away, he suddenly felt a pressure on his right shoulder.

THUD!

Before he knew it, Kasugano found himself with back against the wall.

"Miss Amakuni …"

"Hanna" Amakuni Hanna was not the least bit hesitating when it came to speak her mind. "You're a bit slow on the way of taking hints, aren't you?"

"I would like to flaunt about and say it is the first time anyone has ever told me that…" Ryu closed his eyes, even if only to stop focusing on Amakuni's left knee rather uncomfortable placing. "Or variations thereof, but that would make me a liar, Miss Hanna"

"And a very charming at that" At those words, Ryu opened his eyes.

"With no real necessity to sound rude, what is it that you want?"

Her eye-lids became more narrowed after hearing Kasugano's query for the third time.

"I want you… to serve me, Kasugano Ryu"

The raised eyebrow abridged perfectly Ryu's current emotional state. For him, it wasn't so much the words, but in the way that they were delivered…

"Huh."

* * *

Foot-stains: Well, that certainly wasn't too hard on the reading eyes, now was it?

Okay, so a few notes

A- While I'm certainly not against Japanese honorifics (or honorifics in general), I'll try to keep them down to a few. I kept senpai/sempai because the alternatives that came to mind (senior/upperclassman) seemed kind of goofy at the time of writing both this chapter and the prologue.  
B- Also, if you've ever watched Anime or read manga (or, you know, been in Japan), you can probably tell that Ryu may read like an Englishman(a very lousy one, admittedly) in order to make him sound/read as if he were using a very formal, polite way of talking. I.E. Teinengo and-or Kensogo.

And remember: Your opinion, feedback, criticism or whatever tid-bit of information your mind wants to let me know, is welcome as long as you phrase it well, okey-dokey? See you in around two weeks.


	3. Commencing

**Teems of the Deranged**

Oi. Well, to the 3 of you following this gratuitous descent into madness, I apologize for the light updating schedule. There were actually just 2 reasons of why I did not came to deliver this chapter earlier.

a) I've been, for the last 5 to 6 months, trying to get an office/day job so I can have a much more ordered day/lifestyle in general (while being a recording engineer/producer does pay the bills, it can AND will seriously wreck your social life if you don't balance it with something else).

b) This chapter and the following were almost entirely scrapped and re-written from scratch. They sucked and felt too loose to properly accommodate for the style of overall feel I'm going with this story.

On the wee bits of free time I've had on these past 2 months, I've actually managed to play Street Fighter IV. I really think it just doesn't do it for me as much as the "old guard" did. It's still fun, and I wiped the floor with my online foes mostly using Ryu, though. Also Cammy, oddly enough. Oh, and: By jove, did they really had to bring Vega (M. Bison in America) and Gouken back from the dead? I mean I know it's a business thing and all, CAPCOM, but sheesh... some consistent continuity would be nice once in a while, don't you think?

Oh, who am I kidding? Norio Wakamoto as Vega/Bison is totally worth it. Anyway, enough rambling!

**Chapter 02: Commencing a Campaign.**

-Tamagawa Minami High School- Outside the 2-F Class Room. Around 3 P.M. (May 28, 20XX)

"Ugh" The groan she let out felt somewhat out of place with the almost empty room.

"What's wrong, Kei?"

"I smell VERY unladylike after P.E."

"Ah, you've been showering only at home as of late, right?"

"Yeah. Beats having to hit the showers with that peeping tom lurking around and whatnot"

Sakura suddenly felt the need to stop mopping the floors for a moment.

"There's a... we have a peeping tom in the school?" She said, quite confused as to why she hadn't heard news of this before.

"You didn't know?" Chitose Kei paused for a moment before fixing a slightly uneven spot on her classroom's window. "There. Ah well, the other day, apparently one of our seniors caught a glimpse of the alleged person by the volleyball team's locker rooms" She added shortly after both girls left their classroom for a wee bit.

Then…

"Um, isn't that Amakuni-senpai?"

"Yeah" Sakura confirmed.

"She's so pretty" Kei felt almost relaxed admitting so. "She looks graceful even in our ugly gym clothes"

"Uh, okay…" Kasugano looked above for a moment, seemingly trying to come with an excuse to not look towards Amakuni Hanna's direction.

"I mean, who can pull-off beige and crimson and sti--?"

"Kei, I really don't need that much information about our gym clothes" Sakura quickly cut her friend's tangent.

The pair, however, quickly caught on the mood emanating from the Student Council's Vice-president.

"Wait— i-is she mad?"

"I… guess?" Sakura lightly scratched her head, while picking a lock of her hair. "Looks like she's coming this way. Let's just greet her and pack our stuff"

But the 2nd year students had another thing coming.

"KAA… SUUUU… GAAAA… NOOOO"

"Yes!" As if called out by a drill sergeant, the brown-haired girl felt the need to stand straight.

"Your brother has a lot of nerve!"

"Wha-what? Senpai, what do you mean?" The statement made by the clearly irked Student Council Vice-president shocked Sakura, to say the least.

"I hope you enjoy doing chores before going home" The mean crank couldn't be removed from the young woman's facial expression. "Because you're staying to help cleaning the Gym"

"I—I'm sorry, WHA—why?" The pressure finally sinks in. Sakura needs this afternoon off, and she needed to think fast. "What did my brother do to you?"

"Once you left, he acted extremely untoward to me" Amakuni claimed, while holding her head slightly down.

"Wai-wait… are you really sure? What could Master possibly have done to you?" Chitose felt it was within her rights as Ryu's good acquaintance and basic self-defense apprentice to go detail-spelunking.

"This!"

In a quick huff, Hanna exposed both her wrists to her juniors. The marks on that particular area of her upper limbs had a distinctive pattern. Both Kasugano and Chitose felt a familiar thread running through the events as their senior had described it so far. The presented evidence lessened both second year students' burden considerably.

"Well?" Presented with proof, no doubt both her underclasswomen would agree with her story.

"… What did you do, Amakuni-senpai?" Kei threw the first verbal punch.

"Eh?" Which clearly connected, judging by Hanna's confused look.

"My brother doesn't do the old road-cuff just to screw with someone" Kasugano Sakura smiled while making that revelation.

"I— I—excuse me? The Road-cuff? What is that?" That name didn't sit particularly comfortable with the 3rd year.

"I'll take it from here: It's a technique that Master Ryu devised explicitly to deal with perverts on a relatively silent basis. It avoids harming the intended target beyond a mild-discomfort"

"What? How—why did he create such a thing?"

"I'm partially to blame" Sakura let out a sigh of relief. "But anyway… what happened then?"

Hanna threw her head slightly backwards, trying to gain some head-space. So far, she was coming down empty.

"W… w-well, m-maybe… he WAS in a hurry"

"Oh yeah, it's cause he has tests all the time— I don't know why he was in a hurry: The lowest grade he's had overall was about 92 percent. Once. And because he forgot to flesh out a formula."

Hanna raised her right eyebrow slightly.

"…You are awfully well-informed regarding your brother's academic grading" Hanna said, while narrowing her eye-lids.

"Amakuni-senpai, aren't you one of the Toudai-hopefuls this school has?"

"What has anything to do with Miss Kasugano's older brother and his grades, Chitose?" The 3rd year couldn't make head or tail out of the situation.

"Well, not only did my brother get a perfect mark: He's actually on a dual scholarship for both his academic excellence and because he's aiding on the development of the new Center"

Amakuni was certainly surprised. While she could have guessed that Ryu was anything but ordinary, he grew more fascinating by the minute.

"Really? How do you know all this?" Her eyes widened quite a bit while asking

"Uh… no offense senpai, but it's been on the bulletin boards for about a month"

Moments later, at the bulletin board by the second year's hall.

"Wow… I never recalled seeing that at the council meetings. So, he is—Ah…" Amakuni's eyes drifted for a bit.

"Yes, he probably was in a hurry. Which was probably for the best, because if Kei had met us at the gate, she would have probably spoiled him of the surprise we're preparing"

Kei gasped.

"WHAT? Sakura, I can keep secrets!" Indignation was an understatement.

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah!"

"Kitagawa from class C: Double B!"

"… Oh… god… Sakura, how could you! She told us to keep it a secret, especially from Sensei Kam—" Chitose Kei suddenly interrupted her sentence, with the sound of her mouth becoming agape before…

"Eep!" Throwing both her hands at her mouth alarmingly fast, avoiding any further damage to her school cred.

Not knowing exactly of what the pair was talking about, Hanna felt a bit like an odd woman out.

"You see? Anyway, I'm really sorry if my brother acted beyond a bit standoffish, Amakuni-senpai, but trust me: It's not really because he wanted to be mean to you"

"I see" The 3rd year changed her expression, reflecting the curiosity she felt about a certain topic. "And may I know what this surprise you're planning for him is about?"

"Oh, seems like he already left quite an impression on you, am I right, senpai?" The slight nod on her senior left no further doubt in her mind. Sakura mussed up her own hair for a bit. "Very well"

* * *

-Tokyo University's Hongo Campus- Around 4 P.M. (Same Day)

"So, let me get this straight: Out of the blue, this high school girl starts harassing you about being her servant. And you had never even spoken to her before?"

"And she's been kinda stalking you every time you went to drop your little sis' to school?"

The conversation regarding the strange events that took place earlier this morning had Ryu at a loss.

"Well: Yes and… I am hoping for a no, but as of now I am not so sure" Especially since one of the guys querying him is his senior.

"Is she hot?"

And… there's also Jonathan Drakes on the equation to worry about.

"I am not going to dignify that with an answer, Jonathan"

"Oh, touchy subject?"

Ryu closed his eyes for a moment. At this point, he more or less expected this kind of nagging out of Drakes. Not so in the case of Abe.

"Not so much touchy as it is inappropriate"

"You're full of it, K"

That sentence took the auburn-haired student off his guard.

"I… beg your pardon?" Especially noting who uttered said words.

"I've seen all the girl action you could get around both Komaba AND Hongo and you're still saying that 'not interested' crap you were saying since at least sophomore year"

"Blondie's got a point, Kasugano" It's easy to forget that, after all, Drakes was a Columbia freshman before coming to Todai as an exchange student. "Besides, playing hard to get for too long could land you into a hassle if other men see how you keep attracting all the girls" Kato spoke with uncharacteristic detail.

It irked the Senior-year student a bit the fact that his intended target audience wasn't paying much attention.

"Aaaand you didn't catch a word I said, right?"

"Oh crud: Where is that thing?" Ryu decided to check his bag to see if he still had any lecture left to attend before heading home. "… Well, I certainly hope to remain trouble-free for the remainder of my college years, but I am really not interested in dating anyone at the—"

Off the corner of his left eye, he noticed how one of his classmates, Yoshiozaki Abe, remained agape.

"Yoshiozaki, are you okay? You are giving off the impression that you just saw a ghost"

"Uh, dude?"

"What is it, Jonathan?" Still without results, Kasugano answered with a slightly rough tone. "Ah darn it! Where is my organizer? Nevermind that thing; Jonathan, what is our last—"

"He called in sick" the blond-haired answered without even bating an eye. "Is the chick that kinda stalked you a highschooler?" He asked in a rather high-pitch tone.

"I just told you. She attends the same School my sister does"

Suddenly, Jonathan Drakes tapped his friend on the shoulder. Ryu turned to face him for a brief moment.

"Please give me a moment, Jonathan if you are ever so kind"

With that response finally sinking in, the Seattle-born student took a deep breath.

"O-kay… does she look like a modern day princess? Longish hair, cute face, almond eyes— check out those legs! You know: The whole shebang?"

"… I guess so" Those last words threw Ryu off a bit. Nonetheless, he kept searching for his organizer.

"Ah, crap—tell me you're not THAT dense! Drop the scavenger hunt act now, would you"

Ryu rolled his eyes for a brief moment before turning his sights forward at his friends' behest. In front of them was standing Amakuni Hanna, third year student at Tamagawa Minami's high-school.

"Hello, Ryu-senpai" She said, accompanying the greeting with a playful smile.

Kasugano remained steadfastly deadpan.

"Whoa! Um you know, up close? She doesn't strike me so much as 'Hot', but instead very VERY PRETTY!"

Until his friend's utterance made it somewhat inevitable to raise a brow.

"Thanks for the appropriate update, Jonathan" He sighed before returning to his calm self. "Miss Amakuni. Charming finding you here"

Kasugano offered a slight bow along with his sentence.

"WHAT?!" Yoshiozaki, Drakes and Kato Youhei all screamed in an almost perfect harmony.

"What did you just said, Kasugano…"

"Miss Amakuni?" Ryu replied non-chalantly.

"Did you just said AMAKUNI?!"

"Yes" Even while reiterating the family name of the girl standing in front of them, the unfazed streak couldn't be pulled away from the young lad.

"Oh for gods' sake, Kasugano! Are you really THAT dumb?" Kato's peeved tone could be perceived.

"I am aware of what the significance of her last name is" Yet Kasugano remained calm.

"Well I'm pretty sure you don't! But enlighten me, Kasugano Ryu of the Hanshin-Papers"

After Kato's verbal gauntlet-throwing, Ryu took a short breath. Shortly following that, he directed his optical attentions toward the Tamagawa Minami's student. Her smile was all the backing he needed.

"Amakuni Group…" Before further proceeding, Kasugano cleared his throat. "Or I better should say Amakuni Conglomerate. One of two family-owned conglomerates who could have augmented the big four into a veritable quintet or even a sextet, if that class way-back-when was correct"

Youhei encountered Ryu's statement with a subtle scoff.

"Coulda fooled me into thinking you were an Ec-Major, Kasugano"

"Regardless of that" Ryu then focused his attention back on the person standing in front of him. "And if you may excuse a rude tone: What do you want this time around, Miss Amakuni?"

"Oh Ryu-senpai, you could never come off as rude with such a sweet tone" Hanna spoke with a fairly tuneful manner. "My offer still stands" She added, while extending her left hand.

In a clear response, Ryu both crossed his arms and closed his eyes, seemingly entrenching himself in meditation.

"I see. And what is the catch?" The auburn-haired dryly asked.

"Why do you think there needs to be a 'catch'? … I've come for a different matter, either way"

Right there and then, Amakuni Hanna reached for something hidden on her back, while pushing her long hair out of the way with her left hand.

"Oh, boy… that particular stance doesn't inspire me trust"

"Drakes, shush!"

As Hanna raised her right hand above, her apparent 'different matter' was revealed for all to witness.

"Oh, shit"

"There is no need for foul language, Kato-senpai" Even with the threat presented, Kasugano Ryu remained calm after re-opening his eyes. "Miss Amakuni, please put the short sword away"

"So, you know about sword-sizes. That's commendable!" She smiled, before assuming a proper stance.

"Dr-Drakes… y-you have security's number, r-right?"

"Wha—? Oh, yeah! Here" The moment before Drakes could throw his phone towards Yoshiozaki, a gust of wind flew nearby the American student.

CHANNNNN!

The phone hit the floor.

Between Jonathan and Hanna, a certain person stood facing the steel, using a rather odd utensil as a shield of sorts. The sword-wielding schoolgirl's face was one of utter disbelief at the object used to deflect her attack.

"… R-Ryu… Ryu-senpai. H-how did you managed…?

Kasugano held on an answer… offering only a tranquil stare. Hanna knew right away what she needed to do next.

After jumping away from the table, the young Amakuni regained her stance.

"So it has come to this. However—"

"What… on earth… IS WRONG YOU, LADY?"

The earth almost shook after Jonathan Drakes denoted his state of discontent to all present. More than a few eyes outside the currently involved turned their attention towards the scene.

"J-Jonathan, I halted her assault. I will deal with her"

"It's not about that, K" Drakes calmly replied to his friend's statement. Immediately after, he turned his once again hot-blooded sights towards the high-school student.

"You… you little Rapunzel-haired witch! You coulda BROKEN MY CELLY!"

For a second, all present stood still.

"What?" Amakuni broke form, with clear bemusement plastered all over her face.

"E—EH?" Kato and Yoshiozaki yelled in unison, looking even further off-centre than the high-schooler.

Ryu looked upwards for a moment, looking slightly exasperated. He took a quick breath in, before returning his sights to the scene currently developing in front of him.

"E… p-plea-please, refrain yourself from contacting authorities. I do want to enter this institution sooner or later" After regaining some composure, Hanna pleaded to the blond haired in the best English she could trot out in that instant.

"Yeah good luck with that, loo—" Before Drakes could continue…

TONNN!

"Ooowwwww" Ryu delivered a swift chop to Jonathan's forehead. "What the hell, man?"

Ryu didn't answer to him verbally, but instead conveyed his point with a fast head shaking.

"Miss Hanna, please stop this" Without missing a step, he made his appeal.

Hanna seemed sincerely surprised at the sound of the older Kasugano's voice…

"R-ryu… Ryu-senpai! You finally called me by my given name!" …Even feeling a bit giddy, much to her surprise.

"If you want to fight me, I will gladly comply. But never try to put anyone around us in senseless danger"

Hanna looked a bit confused.

"Aw, Ryu-senpai— I would never do that!" She said, while sheathing her kodachi back.

"Then why did you raise your sword against my friend just a few moments ago?!"

"Yeah!" Drakes felt validated by Ryu's hard hitting question.

"Jonathan" Kasugano's stern voice was notable when uttering his class-mate's name.

"All right! Backing off" Jonathan raised both hands near his head's height to seal the deal.

"All I wanted was for Mr. Foreigner to avoid contacting any authorities"

"Well, you could have asked nicely!" The gold-haired student's reply couldn't have had a more cutting tone if he tried. "My celly didn't have to suffer, you know?"

"Your celly… huh" For the first time, Ryu looked quite uninterested.

"Honestly, he IS kinda attached to that thing"

"Well, duh! My fiancée gave it to me as a gift, ya' twi—!" Before continuing, the young American realized just the weight of the words he uttered.

The gasp he left out couldn't have been more high-pitched if he tried.

"Y-YOU— YOU'RE ENGAGED?" Kato and his trademark subtlety shone through. "Why did you never told us?"

"It was a… It was supposed to be a surprise" Drakes trying to explain the reasons why of his future was a blunder-prone occurrence. "I was going to pop her the question out on Golden Week. But then we had to do that Big Name Keiretsu report. Now all that's left is to break out the news to her parents on Summer Holidays, so… whoops?" His panicky smile only served to further enforce the oddness of the explanation.

"And... I'm… I'm getting married" The news finally landed.

"Those are certainly good news, Jonathan" Ryu spoke softly, with a smile on his face following his words-

"Are you kidding, Kasugano? That's GREAT news in my book!" Kato suddenly became a whole lot more effusive. "Well congrats, you lucky bastard!"

Amidst all the kudos Jonathan Drakes was receiving from both his mates and random students who witnessed the chaos that almost ensued, Ryu casted his person aside, walking towards a certain young woman.

"Miss Hanna, are you still intent on fighting me?"

Then they exchanged a glance. Shortly after, Hanna looked down.

"… I am" The reply came with an uncharacteristically trodden tone.

The auburn-haired Kasugano tapped the tip of his left foot against the grass.

"Then at the very least, let us go somewhere more proper for such a fight to take place"

Her eyes opened wide after listening such words. Her responding with a small bow spoke volumes louder than any words on the eyes of the Toudai student.

That, however, didn't escape the lens of a certain exchange student.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa AND hold your freakin' horses, K. You and the cute, influential chick with a sword are still bent on duking it out?" It certainly didn't sit too well with him, either. Jonathan walked towards them, with half of the now-invitees following his steps.

"I gave her my word, did I not?"

Drakes couldn't help but to raise his eyebrow at the strange set of principles he felt his friend had going for him. A short chuckle came from the now acknowledged groom-to-be.

"It's like we're speaking in tongues to each other"

"I know. Either way, I must follow through whatever path I have chosen"

Drakes gave his friend the thumbs up.

"Senpai… shall we proceed?" Standing besides him, Amakuni spoke softly.

"Very well. Just on one condition"

"Allow me to know it" She crossed hands at her chest's height.

"Why were you so intent on me becoming your servant?"

Her smile suddenly took a turn from the warm to the almost playful without any effort.

"Oh, soon enough you'll know, Ryu-senpai"

* * *

Foot-stains.- While this fic is mostly an attempt (often somewhat poorly done) to be both a comedic affair and a "love-song" to the time I've spent in the Eastern Capital, there are a few things that, unless you're familiar with certain aspects of Japanese culture or done your homework otherwise, will probably leave you wanting for some context to dispel the "What the fuck is this handsome Mexican/Scottish nut-job babbling about?" questions. Since Google is evil and Wikipedia doesn't tell you all the cool shit kids 'in the know' take for granted...

Center: The "Center" (its true name is something akin to "College Candidate Selection and University Admissions' Center Test") is basically... well, for a lack of a better simile, Cthulhu given exam-form for the Japanese Students hoping to get admitted into a prestigious College. This thing IS HARD. The reason cram schools thrive in Japan? This little fucker.

Hongo / Komaba: Komaba (A.K.A. Newbie town) and Hongo (Hardcore Town) are probably the two most well known / visited Campuses of the University of Tokyo. Since Ryu is a Law Student, most of the in-story shenanigans related to this illustrious Teaching Facility will take place in the Hongo Campus.

Out of the three named characters introduced in this chapter, one of them is not an OC: Can you guess which? On a more serious note, I kinda regret not doing something more regarding the quantity of 'senpais' I used on this chapter. I still think it's miles better than the alternative (sir, senior, upperclassman). This will probably come to a head in the next chapter.

Hopefully I'll have the next chapter of this thing up in the following two-three weeks. See ya'!


	4. The Gentle Art

**Teems of the Deranged**

By gum. I suck at updating. But either way, here it is, the Third Chapter / Fourth Installment of this work of fiction. A few explanations (not regarding my lackluster schedule, though), are below. Hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter as well.

All characters from Street Fighter are property of CAPCOM. Original characters are, I suppose, my property.**

* * *

****  
Chapter 03: The subtle art of Giant-Killing.**

Toshima, Tokyo (4th of June, 20XX)

Do not misinterpret me: Guy Hinato is a good fellow, by all means and appearances. He just… tends to get mixed up in weird contrivances. Fortunately, this is not a common trend, and when it does happen, he has a cool enough head to help himself off said situations without causing a ruckus.

This is not one of those occasions. Nothing big, though. And, believe you me: I am familiar with a good old disaster.

"Hey, Crappugano, this is none of your business. Just step"

Quite colorful a demand one of our rowdy fellows just made. They are most likely from around Ikebukuro.

"That was certainly a crummy choice of words"

"Hey, your highness, we're serious. Get your shit-tongued self outta here, or it's your ass as well"

Not sure if the cutting tone was necessary. Remember what Master always said about difficult people. Be easygoing, polite and to the point.

"Please, I ask of you: stop this now. It is the middle of the day, and people around us just want to make use of the sidewalk"

"Fuck you, tool-box!"

Now that was uncalled for. Ah, just give the poor sods what they want.

"Okay. So I see it has come down to—"

A hand reached towards my shoulder. He stopped me from delivering a much deserved ward-off… without really elaborating.

"There's no need for you to intervene, sir. I'll be handling these guys myself"

And there he goes again. I swear one of these days he is going to get himself killed.

"Uh… well, if you insist" Perhaps he needs to let loose once in a while as well.

"Just remember: We have an assembly and I need to know those numbers; we have a deal?" Not that actually need to assert anything regarding our meetings, but I might as well.

"Oh don't worry, Sir. I'm not gonna take that much of your time" Given that he did not even bother to remove his gloves, I believed him.

"So, you're sending one of your dogs to do yer' bidding? Fuckin' pansy"

Oh boy.

"Guess what the guys at Ota we're sa—"

*PAKK!*

Nice hook to the ribcage!

"Holy shit!"

Pretty accurate response from the fellow still standing; ask around. One down and one left to go. Just give Hinato the half minute.

"H-h-hey—Hinato, come on. We were jus—"

*PFFT!*

Well, that was considerably quicker than what I had expected. It is safe to say that, even for a style that was presumably perpetuated with demonic extermination as foremost objective, The Bushin branch of Ninja Arts is still devastatingly effective against humans.

"G'aaargh! You fucking… fuck…in' half—"

Tch. Not a smart move.

*PFFF*

And now he is unconscious as well. In these cases, we will let the natural course of things to take over: Local police handle the rest.

"Hinato… I know they were just trying to rile you in, but sometimes you should know better and let go"

"But Sir…!"

He does have a right to protest. Who on this earth wants to have his or her most beloved memories trounced down just because they are slightly different than the crowd standing in front?

"I know and respect the pride you hold about how you were raised, but it is not worth getting bent out of shape over and over"

"I'll… try to keep it in mind. They shouldn't stoop that low if they want to provoke me, though"

They always do.

"I know. Just… roll with it" Oh, for crying out loud. "Besides, you have someone now to take care of, do you not?"

"I know"

That sounded a bit dry coming from a boy that was completely enamored at first investigative sight… that came out wrong.

"How is Miss Genryuusai doing, by the way?"

"Ugh… please don't bring THAT up right now, Sir"

Genryuusai Rena. A girl raised in the traditional ways. Also fell completely in love with this chum here to my right.

"Is her father still giving you a hard time?"

"That's putting it politely"

"That bad?" Given Guy and his charismatic streak, this actually came as a shock.

"Crabby old man"

One could practically touch the disgruntled tone coming from the words Guy uttered.

"In some points, I mildly understand him, though. Having to raise two daughters is a fairly hard task"

He looked back at me with a clearly confused bag of emotions.

"Oh, come on! From what you've told me, Master Kasugano practically raised both Miss Sakura and you all by himself, and you two turned out pretty well. Plus, he's going even bigger places with the organization, right?"

Hinato has maintained his mind fairly sharp on the issue, I see.

"Yes. Well, he still had many people available to help him. Perhaps what you need to ingratiate yourself with Mister Genryuusai is to support him in that aspect"

"B… but, what about Toyo?"

His University of choice, in case you were wondering. "Hey, if you want to be your own man, figuring things like these out is the best place to start" Throw the poor lad a bone here. "Or so I have been told, at least"

"You do make a point, I guess"

A very half-arsed one, if I protest. Which for the sake of flow regarding this story, I am not going to do.

"So, besides those two unfortunate fellows back there, has anyone else given you a hard time as of late?"

"Eh. Not really. And with all the good stuff around Kichijoji, things have actually calmed down quite a bit here in the north"

That is actually the kind of news I want to hear right now.

"Regarding the Kasugano group, at least"

"So, there are no squeakers to mention this time around? No gossipy hens?"

"Actually, today was the first real chance I had to kick someone's ass in almost a month"

I seldom discuss with Guy things related to work. Most of the pockets of time we spend supposedly talking about work, we actually go over the finer aspects of life. I was actually surprised to hear that he had not 'broken out the buffet' recently.

Oh, and "Breaking out the buffet"? His words, not mine… unfortunately.

"Really? That… well, actually that is a welcome change of pace"

"Yeah it is. Kinda bummer for me, though. I'm gonna be out of a job earlier than expected"

"Oh, you know Master Sho would never let you go in such a shoddy note"

Then I remembered my side of the monthly news.

"Besides, I could use some help in the suit-decked front"

"You're still having to deal with those old farts?"

Just remembering those seemingly never-ending hours discussing ancient concepts left my head feeling a bit off-balance.

"Unfortunately"

"That's a bummer, Sir" Guy's eloquent response is the perfect bow on top. "Why don't those old farts realize that Master Kasugano has moved on with life?"

I am almost sure the concept of brown-nosing gives them that… uh, quite sure you can fill in the blanks.

"For all intents and purposes, Master Kasugano is already legit. I mean: what else is there?"

Not the first to ask me that question regarding Master Sho.

"Jealousy" Hulking, ugly bastard of a word if there ever was one.

"Huh?"

No surprises on that front. Okay, I need to stop for this.

"Stop me if you have heard this story beforehand. Remember when we first contacted your Shishio?"

"Yeah"

"Very well, shortly after your 'draft', can you recall your first assignment as a member of our organization?"

"Uh… was that the Roppongi incident?"

"You got that right" Boy did he ever deliver. It was actually the reason we kept him on payroll.

"Well, to make this summation tie up nicely—" And no, the idiocy of using such word to describe that event does not escape me in the least. "—that was the first attempt by someone up in a 'higher place' to knock down Master Sho"

"What?"

"Fortunately for us, you were there. And you proved to be quite capable of performing your duties" In an exhilarating manner, according to the report Mister Shiroi wrote later that week.

"To this day, I am still in awe of the prowess you displayed back then. If not for your timely feats of strength, that evening could have been quite messy as a result of the actions Miyashima and his cohorts orchestrated"

"W-w… well, thanks" Is he being timid? "Uh, it—it's nice to know that I did a good job… especially taking in account that doof-worthy misstep" Those shoes were a gift, after all. But pay no mind.

"Do not beat yourself up over such a thing. It was an honest mistake and it did not compromise your mission in the slightest"

"Good thing that I finally got rid of that fucking tie"

"I could not agree more"

He snickered for a bit.

"Oh, so now we're taking pot-shots at my wardrobe?" Was that a challenge to my title for the pass-by snark?

"Yes… Said the dullard clad in perpetual penguins"

"Oh, snap!" Letting out a hearty guffawing, Hinato regained his composure shortly after. "So, where are we going?

"Oh well, I guess this is as far as my roles goes in this raid—"

"Hm-hmm I, se— Wait, Raid? WHA-?"

"Darlin'!" Effusiveness is one of many traits abundantly bestowed upon this girl.

*PFT!*

"G'AHHH!" And even if the main receptacle of such a bottled up emotion does not necessarily reciprocate in intensity, he clearly is enthused.

Once they came back into balance, Hinato glances at me with slightly worried eyes, as if reading whatever nonsense my brain cocktails together.

"Thanks for this, Ryu-senpai!"

"Do not mention it, Miss Genryuusai. And please, enjoy yourselves"

All of a sudden, Guy threw me a quite different pair eyeing. The 'what were you thinking?' spelled out across his stare seems like a given.

"W-w-wait, a d-d-date? When did we talk about a date this we-" Then it finally hit him. "WAIT. Sir, did you sold me out?"

It is kind of hard to not get annoyed when someone gets to that density of obliviousness.

"Hinato, we reached the agreement that you sorely needed a break. So stop complaining and proceed on the enjoyment of your date"

"WHAT" I am fairly sure he still feels there are a lot of things still left to be done inside of his deranged schedule.

Today I will have none of that. Tapping slightly my forehead, this signal means, for short 'Stop your frantic dialogue and go see about what we just agreed upon'… yes, I do realize the need to work on a shorter meaning.

Reaching a non-verbal mutual approval, we both nodded each other farewell for the time being. With Miss Genryuusai interlocking arms with the fellow just departing, I prepare myself for the so called soul-crushing pack of chores that awaits me back at Hongo. I often forget that people can make a big deal out of practically anything.

On my way to Komagome, I find a fairly quaint scene: A man on a wheelchair, appearing to be quite angry at a young woman.

"Excuse me! I'm sorry if I got—"

"Shaddup! I'm not asking if you're sorry or not! I'm asking how you're going to compensate me for this, you fucking wench"

The mouth of his quite clearly compensates for his physical setbacks.

"It was an accident. I-I was in a hurry—"

"And what do I care if you were? I was on my way to work, and I don't feel like dealing with a prim little girl on my way there"

Huh. A scene is mounting. How utterly convenient…

Well, to defuse it or not to defuse it?

…

Bloody conscience.

"Um, my good fellow, has it occurred that you may be exaggerating?"

"What the fuck do yo—"

And before he finished that lovely sentence, he stared back at me. His eyes suddenly became wide, with his irises disappearing almost completely.

"G'… w-w-white—"

Oh, crud.

"Not. Another. Word" It became the first thing that came off the top of my head. The affectation shown in the old windows no doubt also contributed to unease this wheelchair-bound gentleman.

Shortly after, he left without a further word, not even bothering to use the crosswalk as he quite clearly first intended. Well, that was… different. Suddenly, this vibration reaches the area around my hip-bone—

"Uh, th-thank you!"

"It is fine, miss. Next time, try to be more mindful, so things like these do not occur again"

"I will"

Hn. Having a conscience is not that bad, after all. Who would have thought?

*BRIRIRIP*

Well, I wonder who could that b—ah, how am I kidding?

A text message. Well, if this is not a coincidence, I cannot fathom what would be. My thesis' current revision has been delayed until further notice… and just like that, no anticipation whatsoever; I have the rest of the day off.

Perhaps I should listen to my own advice and enjoy my day in a manner different than usual.

"You shouldn't allow your vassal to roam around so freely, Sir Kasugano"

Evidently, that idea flushed itself away just as quickly as it reared its head.

"Miss Ich—"

"Please restrain yourself from using that name, Sir"

After that quite rude interruption, she quickly left her hidden path to come to my level. Ho yes, with the same hard-nosed attitude as always. Not that I complain, of course.

"… Fine, then. What brings you around these parts, Ibuki?"

"My… task at hand"

Well, she CAN be quite the funny lass when she decides to go for it.

"Huh. You DO know that Sakura goes to my former educational facility, not my current"

"Do not mock me, sir" Oh, I forgot her other facet. She is the very model of a little hard-nosed nine and one. "Of course I know. I've studied the planes and blueprints of Tamagawa Minami High quite thoroughly, after all"

That is actually quite remarkable. Especially since the old building tends to 'morph' every now and then.

"Many kudos to you then, Ibuki"

"But there's nothing of interest happening over there at the moment!"

Dear me, so she is using the big guns after all. Contrary to what you hold in regards of cuteness, pouting is not something to consider cute. It is, by all accounts, FOWL PLAY at its finest.

"I… see"

Ah, crud! She caught me off guard! Quick, switch the topics of conversation!

"—Ibuki!"

"UH, YES!"

"How is school going?"

"V—VERY WELL, SIR!"

Was that hesitation I registered?

"Have you been turning all your homework on time?"

"I have done so!"

"What about cleaning duties?"

"I partook in it with Shibuzawa just yesterday!"

I knew what this girl wanted, even before seeing the bashful expression in her eyes. It has been her entire mindset goal for almost a year and a half. Amongst the relatively modernist Bushin practitioners and the strait-laced conservationism upheld by the folks back at the old Capital, this type of competition is not only not dismissed, but actually encouraged.

"Now listen to me. I acknowledge your strength, Ibuki. I also need to make absolutely clear the fact that you will be, in all likeness, dismissed from your current duties if you fail to live up to the standards set by the elders"

"Well aware of it, sir" Not beating around the bush.

"… Then, do you want me to make the arrangements? Remember that, once a time and place have been established, I can no longer cancel the assessment"

She quickly bats her eyes away from me.

"I'd find it extremely rude to think you'd be willing to tarnish my reputation, sir"

"In that case…"

Equal treatment for both chums is the fair deal.

"W-whoa!" The rules are an important set to keep. Ever since that the whole 'to-the-death' aspect of the assessment was jettisoned, even more so now. "What's this?"

"Mull it over; for a while, at the very least. I promise to make good on concreting the assessment as soon as both your schedule and that of Hinato allow it"

"Very well, sir!" She bows while still using that dreaded word to address me. "And now, if you excuse—"

"Leaving so soon already?"

"W-well, I do have to watch over Miss Sakura, so I better hurry back"

"She will be fine, Ibuki. What is her current location?"

"She'll finish her club duties in about…" So she is STILL using that old calculator watch. Good to know. "15 to 17 minutes, tops"

"Your calculations are keen as always. Then let us go"

"Wh-what? You're going to see her? W-w—" You could almost hear the moment her tongue tied itself into a nice bow. "G'uh! Weren't you heading to your afternoon University appointment?"

"It is fine. My revision was delayed. Now— there is no time to waste, Ibuki!"

"Y-YES SIR!"

For a kunoichi, she can be surprisingly awkward at times. After a few minutes of idle chat, I realize that— why is that stupid NICKNAME still on the streets?

… One has to live up to the reputation you carry, even if you yourself never wished to build it up to... THAT. No use getting bent out of shape.

* * *

Notes: Now onto the details. As you can probably understand, this chapter is entirely narrated by Ryu. One of the things that actually came to be difficult about this chapter was the fact that I wanted Ryu's in-story politeness to remain, but also add to the fact that, politeness and loyalty to the Kasugano household notwithstanding, he has a "hidden" side of sorts (which goes to hand-wave his at times hammy narration as well).

Namely, that he is, despite his humble nature, a slightly snarky young man. You can probably guess by the way both Guy and Ibuki refer to him as (the equivalent to Sir would be, in my little twisted understanding of honorifics, kinda like saying "Hakase/Shihan") what he "thinks" about such honorifics being applied to him. I'm not sure if I succeeded, so it's up to you, dear reader, to be the judge to that.

Also, one of the things I realize: The more I write this story, the more I feel like I should get a permanent job that allows me to go back to the Capital of the East. ESPECIALLY around Toshima (where Ikebukuro is located). Seriously. Alternatively, Kichijoji (outside the special wards but still Tokyo) is also fine by me.


End file.
